Solent Maritime SAC Condition Assessment and improving water quality - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Solent Maritime SAC Condition Assessment and improving water quality in the Solent

Sue Burton, Marine Senior Adviser, Natural England Jackie Mellan, Greater Solent Project Manager, Natural England/Environment Agency

• Solent Maritime SAC condition assessment
• Impacts of nutrients
• Sources of nutrients
• Measures currently being taken to reduce nutrients
• What can SEMS group do to help?

Solent Maritime SAC

• Solent Maritime SAC Condition Assessment
• Summary assessments, together with the qualifying sub feature assessments, are

given for the site’s marine qualifying features:

• Estuaries

Unfavourable - water quality nutrients; reduced extent of saltmarshWater

quality – nutrientLoss of saltmarsh – zonation, exte

• Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide

Unfavourable - water quality nutrients

• Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time

Unfavourable – water quality nutrients, TBT, slipper limpet, infaunal index

• Coastal Lagoons

Favourable - but decline of lagoonal cockle and non native species

Impacts of nutrients – Macro algae growth

• Most clearly evidenced by lush green macroalgae growth
• Leading to an impact on invertebrates and bird feeding

behaviour

Impacts of Nutrients – Birds, Seagrass beds and Saltmarsh

• Declines in shelduck numbers
• Wider effects on the functioning of estuarine ecosystems
• Saltmarsh and seagrass loss

Impacts of nutrients– recreational users, tourism and fisheries

• Bad smells effecting tourism
• Entanglement in boat propellers
• Impacts on shellfisheries

Catchment overview of the sources and movement of nutrients

Source: Stratham et al, 2012

Source of nutrients

Management Measures

• Diffuse Source regulatory measures
• Point source regulatory measures
• Point source voluntary measures
• Diffuse source voluntary measures

Natura 2000 – Judicial Review

Timescales for recovery

What can SEMS do? Benefits of tackling urban diffuse pollution

• Multitude of in combination effects can be significant and

more so in some locations

• A reduction will become transparent quicker than

agricultural diffuse due to time lag through groundwater

• Other consequential benefits eg reduction of E coli

(bathing water and shellfish)

• Raises awareness and understanding of this issue

What can SEMS do? Producing materials to improve awareness

• Improve public awareness of

the nutrient issue and algal mats

• Collate images and

information on impacts on habitats and other possible consequences for CSF

• fficers to convey to farmers

What can SEMS do? Taking action to protect your local estuary

• Public awareness campaigns e.g. ‘Only pee, paper

and poo down the loo’, Dorset Litter Free Coast and Sea, ‘Think before you flush’

What can SEMs do? Encouraging good practice

• Use holding tanks and

sewage pump out facilities

• Fit house boats with STWs

What can SEMs do? Citizen Science Citizen science collection of data – e.g. Thames Outfalls safaris

What can SEMS group do to help reduce nutrients in the Solent?

Promoting Good practice

• Improve public awareness
• Collating images and information on impacts to convey to farmers
• Encouraging other to take action

Monitoring activities

• Citizen science –identifying priority areas for misconnections
• Reporting pollution - Point and diffuse sources of soil, sewage, litter,

boat washings, etc. Regulatory

• Enforcement of relevant byelaws?

Operations

• Provision of public toilets and pump out facilities for boat users